Politics Poland plans temporary suspension of asylum law

Poland wants to limit illegal migration by suspending the right to asylum, at least temporarily. This is one of the elements of his new migration strategy, said the liberal-conservative head of government Donald Tusk in Warsaw, according to the PAP news agency. "I will demand recognition of this decision in Europe." He did not give any details.

At a party conference of his Civic Coalition (KO), Tusk emphasized that the state must regain 100 percent control over who comes to Poland and enters the EU member state. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of using migrants to exert pressure on his country. This was "contrary to the essence of the right to asylum".

"We will reduce illegal migration to Poland to a minimum", Tusk promised. He intends to present the new migration strategy to the cabinet on Tuesday. With regard to the EU migration pact, Tusk threatened not to respect or implement any European ideas that would jeopardize his country's security. He was not specific on this point either.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski had already announced on Thursday that Poland would be tightening up its visa regulations. In future, there would no longer be any opaque ways of speeding up the issuing of visas, said Sikorski. Poland, an EU and Nato member state, is thus drawing the consequences of corrupt practices in the issuing of visas under the former national-conservative PiS government, which ruled the country from 2015 to 2023.